On Sunday, June 10, 2018, at 10:45 p.m., North Precinct officers responded to the report of multiple people street racing in the 5400 block of Northeast 148th Avenue.

When an officer arrived in the area, he located a group of approximately 50 people, some of whom were involved in speed racing. As the officer approached the group, in a marked patrol vehicle, the driver of a Ford Ranger truck drove towards the officer. The officer believed the Ford Ranger was going to crash into the his patrol vehicle and turned his vehicle away from the Ford Ranger's path of travel to avoid a collision. The officer broadcast a request for additional officers to respond to assist with the incident.

The driver of the Ford truck left the scene and the officer pursued the truck and its occupants. During the pursuit, multiple drivers associated with the speed racing event interfered with the officer's ability to pursue the occupants of the Ford truck. The drivers of the interfering vehicles attempted to maneuver their vehicles in the path of travel of officers as they attempted to stop the truck and the occupants of the truck.

Officers successfully performed a pursuit intervention technique on the truck, contacted the occupants of the truck, and arrested the driver without further incident.

The driver and occupants of a Saturn four door sedan were also stopped by officers after the driver was observed interfering with the pursuit of the Ford Ranger. The driver of the Saturn was also taken into custody.

The driver of the Ford Ranger and Saturn have been identified as 21-year-old Jovani I. Villalobos and 23-year-old Audrey L. Parrish, respectively. Villalobos was lodged at the Multnomah County Jail on charges of Attempt to Elude by Vehicle, Reckless Endangering, and a probation violation warrant for a previous conviction for Illegal Manufacture of Marijuana. Parrish was booked on a charge of Reckless Driving.

The Portland Police Bureau would like the community to know that street racing can be very dangerous and is also illegal. Drivers participating in racing or assisting by blocking traffic on the roadway can be arrested and charged with a variety of crimes.

The Bureau encourages drivers who seek to race their cars or motorcycles to find a safer, legal alternative to using roadways or parking lots and putting themselves and others at risk of personal injury.

Several opportunities exist at the Portland International Raceway for drivers interested in using the track. For more information, please visit http://portlandraceway.com/

The Portland Police Bureau is committed to working with our partners in government and the community to create safer streets and work towards reducing, and eventually eliminating, traffic fatalities as part of Vision Zero.